Leftover rice? You’ve got a head start on these 8 fried rice dishes

Depending on your stance, leftover takeout rice can be the bane of your existence or a blessing. For me, it’s definitely the latter. Extras are the basis for a superb reinvented dinner, namely fried rice. (If you’re not ready to use it, freeze the rice in a zip-top bag or airtight container, preferably after letting it freeze first on a sheet pan in a single layer to avoid clumps, which speeds up thawing and cooking.)

[A better pot of rice is within reach with these 5 tips]

Fried rice is an ideal weeknight meal, whether you want to improvise with what’s already in your kitchen or have a specific plan. Here are some recipes from our archives, which are great as written but are also easy enough to adapt. They’re so good, you may end up ordering more rice just to make them.

Fried Rice With Broccoli and Mustard Greens, above. This vegetable-loaded version uses a clever technique that has you cook the ingredients in stages, which is especially helpful if you don’t have a wok or large skillet.

[Browse our Recipe Finder for more than 9,000 Post-tested recipes at washingtonpost.com/recipes]

(Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post)

Better Than Takeout Fried Rice. There are similarities between what you might get if you actually ordered fried rice, but we prefer the freshness and crunch of homemade. The ginger and red pepper flakes make it sing, too.

[5 recipes to help you cut back on takeout dinner expenses]

(Goran Kosanovic for The Washington Post)

Sesame Fried Rice With Spring Vegetables and Egg. Brown rice packs more nutrition into the stir-fry, and fried eggs mean you can stir in a runny yolk for an extra-luxurious texture.

(Renee Comet for The Washington Post; styling by Bonnie S. Benwick)

Garlic Fried Rice (Chahan). Garlic lovers, rejoice, because you fry a couple of cloves for this recipe. Worth noting: It calls for short-grain Japanese rice, so here’s an ideal recipe for making a dent in any sushi rice you may acquire.

(Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post)

Vegetable Fried Rice. Not only will this recipe help you with extra brown rice, it will also get you to reinvent those broccoli stems you might otherwise be stumped by (feel free to freeze those, too).

(Goran Kosanovic for The Washington Post)

Quick Ham-Fried Rice With Lavender. It’s definitely off the beaten path, but the floral flavor plays well with the pork, ginger and raisins.

(Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post; tableware from Crate and Barrel)

Spicy Basil Tofu Fried Rice. Here’s a stir-fry for one that suggests making a baked marinated tofu for extra flavor and firm texture. You can also swap in plain extra-firm tofu.

(Dixie D. Vereen for The Washington Post)

African Soul Fried Rice. Food writer and culinary historian Michael Twitty, author of “The Cooking Gene,” is the source of this colorful dish that includes ingredients more traditional or indigenous to West and Central Africa.

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